


Vader No More

by Vikki_is_Artemis



Series: Vader No More [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, References to Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-26
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:22:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22913947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vikki_is_Artemis/pseuds/Vikki_is_Artemis
Summary: "What if we could turn Vader into a good guy?"That question was posed to me and you know what, I wanna explore that with you. So join me in my fanfiction and making a redemption arch for the most villainous person in all of fiction.
Series: Vader No More [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1646950
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1-2

**Author's Note:**

> So, this has characters from Clone Wars and OG Star Wars. I want to warn everyone, I'm not an elitist and I know some of you are. If I get somethings wrong, don't yell at me. Just kindly tell me or just ignore this because fan fiction is supposed to be fun. So, enjoy!

Chapter 1

_ Right after Vader killed Palpatine and they are talking in the hangar bay at the end of episode 6. _

Luke Skywalker wouldn’t give up on his father. 

“Luke, leave me and tell your sister-”

“No,” Luke cried in frustration, “I can not lose you like this! I just found you!”

Vader, or rather he might want to call himself by his old name Anakin, reached up to touch his son's face, “There’s no time. I’ve done terrible things. Let me be at peace with the force.”

Luke shook his head and put Anakin’s helmet back on, “You can tell my sister whatever you want when you see her. Luke force pushed his father into the ship and raced to the cockpit with Anakin laid down inside the small cargo hold of the ship. 

That day Anakin learned he had passed on his stubbornness somehow and he laughed to himself while laying down in that ship. A good laugh. A laugh he hadn’t had in twenty years. This road wasn’t going to be an easy one, but at least Anakin had the trust of one of his children. 

When Luke returned down on the surface, he waited for a moment thinking about how he was going to explain this all to Leia and his friends. He walked back to where he left his father and found him sitting up against the ship wall. Luke started to panic. “They probably want you dead,” Luke scratched his head.

“Yeah,” Anakin said, “Most likely.”

“I didn’t think this through.”

“No, you did not.”

“Well, what was I supposed to do? I couldn’t just leave you to blow up. Not after what you did,” Luke tried to reason. He thought he was reasoning with Anakin, but maybe he was reasoning with himself. 

Anakin tried to search through his head what to say because he was really about to accept his fate. He remembered though, he didn’t give up on many people throughout his life and for some reason, people wouldn’t stop giving up on him. Though most had, who knew it would be his son to start this new chapter later on in life. He thought, “Padame would be proud of him.”

He shook his head, “Well, tell them the truth.”

“Leia would really want you dead, but I know she cares more about justice than she does anything else,” Luke sighed, “Perhaps it would be best to bring her here with a med droid, alone.”

“Don’t, there is something you must know about her,” he tried to stop Luke, but he was already gone. Anakin sat there and waited. Knowing this was a bad idea. He tried to stand up but failed and fell to the ground. He sat there kind of in awe to himself of how he’s even alive and how much he felt his body giving in. 

He wanted to give in. But then he thought, “Would that be fair to Luke?”

Luke, after all, found his only blood connection alive. For the first time in twenty-two years, he had one thought, not about himself. He then thought, “Do I even want to be Jedi again? After all this time?”

Deep into thought, someone to the right of him said, “I didn’t think it could be done.”

Obi-Wan Kanobi sat on a crate and glared at his old apprentice in a ghostly form. Surprised Anakin said, “Obi-Wan?”

“You can thank master Yoda for teaching me this ability,” Obi-Wan smiled, “Luke seems to surprise us all every day.”

Anakin said, “You could have killed me on Mustafar. Why didn’t you?”

Obi-Wan took a deep breath and said, “I thought I did. I felt Padme and the force was telling me to leave and get her out of there. It was no place for a pregnant woman.”

“What happened after Mustafar,” he asked trying to hide his slight anger, “Is Padme really dead?”

“You had doubts all this time, did you?”

“Of course I did. I never trusted Palpatine after what he did to me.”

“Well, since we don’t have much time, “ Obi-Wan explained, “I’ll tell you. She died during childbirth. Everything was fine. She was otherwise healthy. Personally, I think she died of heartbreak she named Luke before she passed and Senator Organa named Leia.”

Anakin didn’t know how to respond so instead he said, “Only light side force wielders can see light side ghosts, right?”

“If you’re asking if you should become a Jedi once again, I urge you to let go of your anger. If you can not, then the dark side will always haunt you,” Obi-Wan urged Anakin, “Go by Anakin Skywalker once more and try to make up for all you have done as Lord Vader. I have to go now. Meditate to seek me out if we need to speak again.”

The ship doors opened and Leia walked in then was startled by the sight of a wounded Vader. Luke tried to tell her, “Leia let me explain! I-”

“No! What have you done?”

“He saved me!”

“He blew my planet to pieces!”

“I know-”

“He murdered billions! He is a war criminal!”

“Leia-”

“What were you thinking?”

Luke got the last word, “Well would you let me explain!” Silence fell over the Leia and she took a deep breath, “Fine, tell me.”

“When I was battling the Emperor, he struck me with lighting,” Luke pointed to Anakin, “Vader over here, as I cried out for him to help me, picked him up and threw him into the reactor that was about to blow, taking the blow of the lighting. He saved my life.”

Leia gave a stern look at her foe, “We still can’t trust him. For all we know, this could be him manipulating you to join him.”

“I am joining him! On the light side! Not the dark,” Luke said loudly.

Anakin said, “I understand you probably hate me, but I am willing to cooperate as much as I can. But, I can’t do that if I’m dead.”

Leia went outside and got the med droids who patiently waited outside. They sought to him and carried Anakin out of the ship. They soon had gawking eyes all over them as the bastard they know to be the dark lord was strolled out to their medical ship. Anakin held on for his newfound life. “Whatever that might be,” thought Anakin. Something bugged at him in the back of his mind. The force was trying to tell him about… about… He lost it and fell asleep as the doctors worked to repair him.

Luke looked on with Leia and said, “The force wants him alive. Make sure he is kept alive.”

“Or are you clouded,” asked Leia. 

“No,” Luke shook his head, “He needs to help. Something is coming, and I’m not sure what. I need to figure that out.”

  
  


Chapter 2

The shrieks and cries of the universe called out to Anakin and the mask he wore haunted his dreams. He could see the red of his saber dance around him as he felt them cutting into people. One, in particular, caught his eye. A woman he sought to join him and she was a crazy woman. The only one to ever see anything other than a plan for him. She grunted as the saber went through her and he felt her despair just before she died. Then nothing. The world was silent and brooding once more after he killed her. He looked back at this with some sadness. She probably just needed help and to be treated for delusions. It was just easy to kill her. 

He woke up to see the world without his helmet on. He knew this because he used to see everything in red and with a tactical lense. He touched his face. Scars on the top of his head felt like scar tissue. “Wait,” he thought, “I can feel in my hands?”

He looked at them and sure enough, he had hands.

The doctor came in and said, “These are top of the line cybernetics. You’ve been out for a long time. Underneath those hands is all metal, but you now will bleed and take the look of real hands. Some of my best work, if I do say so myself.”

He felt his chest and felt a scared body with half machine and half flesh parts all over. The doctor said, “We used stem cells and cybernetics. The stem cells on the rest of your body will take time to grow. Luke was one of my first patients I used this technique with and you can see, he has a hand-looking-hand. Whatever the past doctors did to you was so shitty and some kind of General Grievous fuckery when you still have perfectly good organs and- ah you don’t care do you?”

Anakin wasn’t paying that much attention. He was just gripping onto his bedsheets and feeling the world around him. He felt the force with everything he touched and he felt stronger than ever. Anakin told the doctor, “Thank you. I haven’t felt this way in years.”

“I was told to give you a message,” the doctor said, “Leia is giving you the ball. You can walk out of here, because to be quite frank the only one who could have a chance on stopping you is away on a mission, so. You could walk out. Free to leave. Or you could see General Leia and give her as much information as you can and maybe you won’t get tried as a criminal.”

Anakin thinking back to his dream and the screams of everyone he ever killed. How much unbalance there was in the universe now because of him. He said, “Where is Leia?”

“That’s General Leia, or Princess Leia, to you,” the doctor said, “We flew out into space and are flying to our base now. She is on the command ship. The droids are waiting to retrieve you by the shuttle bay.”

“Droids?”

“Leia trusts them to bring you over.”

“Alright,” Anakin sighed and said, “Can I get some clothes?”

“Your room on Corsaint has stayed vacant in the Jedi temple,” the doctor said, “We received all your items not just a few hours ago. Get dressed and ready at your leisure.” The doctor pointed at the locker near the door and left. He picked up his old robes and wondered like an old maid if his clothes would fit after all these years. He grunted to himself, “Not like I gained weight.”

He put them on and felt his blade missing. He looked for it and found it locked inside a box. He could feel it and then he felt an inscription underneath it. It read, “From Luke. When you become a Jedi again, you can open this box. I heard stories you can purify Sith crystals. I trust you, just prove it’s not misplaced.” 

He agreed with Luke and nodded, “Obi-Wan must’ve taught him well.”

He walked with his box and wondered what kind of foolery Luke figured out to make sure only a Jedi could open it. He must have found it somewhere and it works similar to a Holocron. He tried to use the force to open it as he walked and tried to look where he was going at the same time. 

He knocked straight into a woman carrying some datapads she was reading. Everything went flying. Anakin was quick to anger but reminded himself that was not the way. It was just an accident. Luke thinks better of him so he should think that for himself. He took a deep breath and the woman looked on in horror. She said, “Oh fuck.”

She grabbed Anakin’s box and gave it to him before she grabbed her things. Anakin went to get her stuff and said, “No. I wasn’t looking.”

She dared not look at this war criminal. She said, “So. You’re not mad?”

He shook his head, “No. It’s… It’s fine.”

He looked at her. She had a nurse uniform on. Her deep curly brown hair was trying to escape from her bun and strand of it fell in her face. She kinda looked familiar, but he didn't dare compare her to someone he used to know a long time ago. He smiled and asked, “What is your name?”

She stammered, “El… Ellois.”

He blinked and said, “I’m… I am Anakin.”

She nodded, “Not Darth Vader?”

He felt uncomfortable, “‘Darth’ is a title only given to Sith. I prefer my real name over that of my Sith title because I am not a Sith anymore.”

“So it’s true” Ellois smiled, “Well, I hope you find your path, Anakin.”

He walked away and found the hanger. He was expecting some stupid droids who had only a few purposes. Maybe a protocol droid or something. Nothing like the surprise he saw next to his shuttle. He stared at the old, gold, and dinked up droid, and the other dinked up blue and white mech droid. They were talking to each other. He called out, “3-P-O? R-2?”

C3-PO flew up his arms, “Master! Oh, how good it is to see you all recovered! Mistress Leia is waiting for you. Oh, how wonderful!”

A tear came to his eye to see at least some familiarity hasn’t changed. He crotched down to R-2 and the brave droid suddenly gave him a little shock and went angrily, “Bleep bloop bleep bleep!”

Anakin said getting to his feet, “Yeah. I know. I will try to make up for it. I’m sorry.”

R-2 went on, “BLEEP BLEEP!”

Anakin said, “Guess I have to win back your trust as well.”

“BLEEP,” R-2 went.

C3-PO said, “To the shuttle and to Mistress Leia. I was sent to make sure you are caught up on the politics of things if you do so happen to want to know.”

Anakin walked into the shuttle and to the cockpit. R2-D2 angrily beeped at him insisting he drove to make sure he wasn’t going anywhere. Anakin nodded and sat back into the pilot's chair. C3-PO went on about the state of the galaxy and how they are going to show the truth of what happened to the Jedi Order to the senate. Provide years of evidence and with Emperor Palpatine dead they hope to restore some self of self in the galaxy. 

Listening to all this Anakin felt a deep sense of guilt. He thought back to when he first made his sith lightsaber. The crystal he held in his hands, though inside a Jedi protected box, was just pure hatred. He thought about how he just wanted to make everything right and balanced once more. He felt he needed to do more than kill the man who imprisoned him in hate. He has always wanted to kill the sith lord, but he just never had to chance or the gall to do it. Palpatine's lighting was enough to keep him down for so long. 

He could almost feel the lighting from within for a moment when he was deep in thought. He felt the pain that made him want to go to his knees. Suddenly his world was crushing and imploding in on him. His breath hitched as he let out a shy murmur, “What have I done?”


	2. Vader No More

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I'm starting to learn how to use this site. So these next two parts will be uploads of parts I have already released. So that's chapters 3-8. Cool? Cool.

Chapter 3

Anakin stood back from the door, that on the other side, was Leia. He was trying to gather up the confidence to see her. He had her tortured and destroyed everything she loved. How she hadn’t turned to the dark side was something he pondered over while in the shuttle on the way there. Maybe the power of justice in her heart was too overwhelming. He would expect nothing less from the daughter of politicians. Not that it’s bad to be a politician, but they are people who hold the law and their morals to their sleeves. 

Leia came out in a huff, “Well are you going to stand there all day?”

Anakin stood there with his mouth slightly open then said, “Uhm, yeah. Uh. Thank you for inviting me in.”

She stepped aside and noticed the box and said, “So Luke took my advice?”

Anakin nodded, “Yes. It’s for the best, I think, too. My kiber crystal is very damaged. By. Me.”

“As is the rest of the universe,” Leia said not holding back. 

Anakin sat down and didn’t know what to say to that, because after all, it was true. Leia sat at her desk across from him, “It wasn’t my idea to give you a new body either. Luke also had that idea after seeing how badly made your suit was.”

“I built what was the latest version of that suit,” he said, “However, Sidis or Palpatine made the base suit bad. So, I guess I have another thing to thank you all for.”

Leia nodded, “Speaking of the fallen emperor, we need all of your access codes, all the plans you can give me, and anything else you can think of.”

Anakin tried to sound as callous as she was being, “Of course. We will need to start with going to Corrsiant and I can hand over all the encryptions and everything you need. I had high clearance, but I will warn you. Though I was an appearance of the Emperor, he still didn’t give me clearance over certain things. Such as certain rooms in the Jedi Temple and his office.”

“Shouldn’t matter, now that he’s dead,” Leia sat back in her seat, “The senate is looking to find a new person to replace Palpatine.”

“A mistake! That’s a mistake!”

“I know, but seeing as I’m a Princess with no people to rule over, they kicked me out of the senate,” Leia glared at him and dug herself into Anakin’s very being. She looked away holding back her anger, “Luke says I have to work through this before the loss of my people eats at me. Guess some Skywalkers have to make sure they don’t fall.”

Anakin made fists and held back his anger, “General Leia. I am trying my best -starting now- to make sure I atone for what I have done. Do you think I can’t hear the screams of the people I have killed? Do you think I have no guilt?”

“I just don’t trust you and it’s the fact you’re a war criminal that I can’t lock up because I don’t have that power and that owes you my resentment,” she said harshly. She took a deep breath, “I’ll have 3PO send you to your quarters. Luke should be returning soon. He’s the Jedi Master around here. He said he wants to set you on your path to return to the light. He’s been teaching me and I hope he spaces out our lessons.”

Anakin stared at her for a second understanding where the fiery nature to protect those around her came from. He felt a little saddened by that, but he didn’t sense hate in her. He sensed the duty to protect those she loved of all things. He gave her a faint smile and said, “I hope one day to earn your trust, General.” He got up to leave with Leia handing him a blank datapad. As he left, he said, “General. I have failed you and so many people. Maybe someday, you can even forgive me, and I can forgive myself. I look to the future with some hope I haven’t had in a long time.”

Leia said, “Perhaps. Just get the data written down for us. We will head for Corrisant as soon as Luke gets back.”

Anakin was showed to his room and he placed his box on the empty desk next to the door. The soft lights of the small barren room made him feel a little lost. It had been some time since he laid in a bed. He could breathe normally with the medical miracle that the doctor made him. He had a thought though. He called the doctor over a comlink 3PO set up. He asked, “Doctor! This is Anakin. This might sound weird, but my old suit was very susceptible to short-circuiting. Could I take a shower, now?”

The Doctor said, “Yes, of course, you can! I also should have mentioned you can and should eat food now if you couldn’t before. And everything works the same way as if you never had a destroyed body. Though, don’t do too much at once. I know it might be exciting to function normally again, but you need to take your recovery slow. Like for example, sit with you piss.”

Anakin said, “Thank you, Doctor. Oh, I never got your name.”

The Doctor said, “I’m Doctor Bailsi. If you have anything more, my line is open all day.”

Anakin took a look around his room and found the bathroom. Maybe he wouldn’t go for a hot shower at that time, but he settled on taking a lukewarm shower. He could feel the water on his hands and body. It was something he had not experienced in a long time and he suddenly started to cry. How was he worthy of this, he didn’t know. He turned his back on everyone and everything he loved. He turned so far into the dark side. He killed and destroyed people. 

He thought about the purge troopers and the inquisitors he had a hand in creating. The Jedi he slaughtered. And he was wrong all along. There was a time when he could have turned back. He could have gone back to his old master and fought back against the Empire. Maybe even helped rebuild the order. 

All he wanted was to see his beloved again. Though, he saw a little bit of her in Leia. It just crushed him to think about all he had done all because he just wanted to save his wife. All for what though? He caused her demise. Caused her to become so weak, she died. 

He composed himself and walked out of the shower to get dressed. He said to himself, “Gotta stop this pity party.” 

He sat down and gave away all his codes and wrote down everything he knew. He called over the comlink to Leia when he was done with writing down everything he could think of. She sent R2-D2 to retrieve the datapad and he just waited for further instruction. 

He decided to lay down and try to repair his mind by meditating with the light side of the force. So, he knew there was only one thing he could do to really assert himself as a light side user once more. He must call out to all the Jedi and ask for their forgiveness. He said, “I call out to those who I hurt and killed. Those Jedi whose lives I destroyed. I ask your forgiveness and want to join the light once more.”

He kept saying it over and over until he got a response. In his trance, he heard someone knock at his door. He got up and when he opened the door, he was back in the Jedi Temple on Corrisant. He looked back and he was standing in his room at the Temple. He took a deep breath and walked into the hallway. Standing at the end of the hall was one of the children he struck down. He didn’t know his name, but he was one of the children he first killed when entering the Temple. The child said, “The Council wants to see you.” He followed the little boy to the room where he was rejected all those years ago. 

Anakin was only 44 years old, but he still felt like an old man whose death bed was waiting just around the corner. He gulped as he entered the room where all the Masters sat. Windu was the first to speak, “So, you wish to rejoin the Jedi? Why should we accept you?”

Anakin searched for an answer, “I now know the dark side and my hatred got the better of me.”

Yoda spoke next, “Admit do I, that the Jedi might have been short-sided. Now know we must, if you believe you were as well.”

Anakin nodded and went to his knees, “I beg for your forgiveness Masters. I have done great evil to this universe.”

Obi-Wan went next, “But ultimately, you want to change? Yes?”

“Yes,” Anakin said, “I was young and stupid and short-sided. I caused the deaths of too many innocent and thought of them as lesser.”

Yoda said, “To become a Jedi once more, this you must do. Train with your son. As his Padawan, you will learn the new ways I have taught him.”

Windu said, “Anakin, you must be careful in these first days in the light. We all still sense your anger and now your hatred is focused on yourself. You must overcome this if you are to rejoin with the light side. However, you have taken the right steps so far. Remember, even Master Yoda at one point has had to overcome the dark side to join the force and be a force ghost who guides. We all see every future that can happen, and we even see a few where you go dark side once more. Cut the hatred out now and heed our warning.” 

Anakin got up, “What should my next step be?”

Obi-Wan said, “Face Vader as Anakin Skywalker. You’ve actually done that once before, by the Brother -if you remember the rest of that fiasco- and you failed. So the Father wiped your memory of it. To face Vader though, you should find your old Padawan.”

“Ashoka? She’s still alive? I thought- wow, I’m going to have to see that for myself,” Anakin more so told himself rather than the Masters.

Yoda said, “Luke and Ashoka, teach you the ways of the force they will. Now go. Bring balance to the universe, you must.”

Chapter 4

Coming out of his meditation he found Luke force pulling and pushing a ball in the air out of boredom. Anakin said, Luke, how long have you been there?”

“Not long,” he said, “I could feel you deep in mediation and felt it was better to leave you to it than wake you from it. Anything Master Yoda or anyone had to say?”

“Yes, they want me to find someone from my past. She’s not a Jedi, but, she is force sensitive,” Anakin said, “I think they want me to find her because she knows how to purify kiber crystals.”

“Alright, we need leads then,” Luke said, “What is her name?”

“Ahsoka Tano,” he smiled a little to himself, “I just can’t believe she’s alive.”

“I have only ever heard rumors about her,” Luke replied, “I think the last the rebels heard of her she was with a Mandalorian woman named Sabine Wren. I’ll tell Leia to put out a search for either of them.”

“No, Ashoka and I-” he cut himself off and sighed, “Though. Ugh. I don’t know. It’s like the bond you feel with whoever trained you, but with Ahsoka and I, because we are both strong with the force, and we trained and been through so much. We have a stronger bond. Sometimes when I was meditating as Vader- if I felt the pain she was going through. But, I think she might have cut herself off from me. I might have been too much to deal with for her. But, we can try and use the force to get an idea of where she’s at.”

“Well,” Luke said excitedly, “We can try!”

Anakin took a deep breath and got into a meditative state. He said breathing out, “Ashoka, I’m here.”

He felt a pang of anxiety in both of them. He got a glimpse of her surroundings through her eyes and he knew exactly where she was. Anakin said, “I’m coming.” She panicked and he tried to say that it was alright but she blocked him out. Anakin stood up in and gasped with pain. He held onto his desk and gulped. He said, “I know where she is, but not why.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Luke, she’s at one of my old bases for Jedi we imprisoned and turned into inquisitors.”

“Well the empire has fallen, don’t they know that?”

“Someone else is pulling the strings and we need to find out who. Someone else has taken over what is left of the empire,” Anakin said, “But first we need to get Ahsoka out of there. 

Chapter 5

Leia looked tired from doing whatever she was doing that day. Anakin didn’t know what she did all day and Leia did care to share. She looked up at her brother and sighed, “I can’t spare any more ships.”

“Oh so when it’s a mission you need me to do,” Luke argued, “I get all the ships I want but spare one shuttle and suddenly I’m asking you to hand over an arm and a leg!”

Leia rolled her eyes, “Sorry I’m still kind of reeling from your mission’s success.”

“It was and you know it!”

“You cost me half a squadron against some pirates! Pirates!”

“Fine, I’ll ask Han!”

“Han isn’t going to do it!”

Han Solo walked in and said, “Han won’t do wh- what is he doing here?”

Anakin smiled and gave his hand out, “Hi, I’m-”

“Yes, I know about Luke’s escapades,” Han Solo said unimpressed and turning down the courteous gesture by keeping his hands to his hips.

“Leia won’t let me take a ship to help get someone out of prison,” Luke side-eyed Leia.

Han Solo asked, “Who are we saving?”

Anakin said, “Ahsoka Tano. She is being held at a base where they imprison Jedi.”

“I thought Luke was the only Jedi around here,” Han puckered his lips in confusion. 

“Well,” Anakin went, “She’s not a Jedi. She’s just a force user. She left the Jedi Order before the purge.”

“Why are we saving her is another good question,” Han looked at Leia and back at Luke and Anakin.

Luke said, “Two reasons. Both my dad and I have felt something dark. It’s a different kind of darkness than Palpatine. He was the one who most likely captured her. We need to find out who and she might have an idea. And, she can help my dad on his path to renew himself.”

“Uh-huh,” Han nodded, “And why should I do it?”

Luke clapper Han on the shoulder, “Because it’s the right thing to do!”

“The right thing huh?”

“Yeah, someone is in danger of a mysterious dark force and they have Jedi powers,” Luke tried to reason, “She could be useful!”

Anakin chimed in, “She was also a commander in the Clone Wars. Her military experience could help you guys plan for whatever this mysterious force has in store for the New Republic.”

Leia sighed, “How good was she? This Ashoka Woman?”

“We never lost a battle together in the Clone Wars,” Anakin said in a somewhat sentimental tone.

Leia said, “That name does sound familiar. I think she might have been one of our contacts in the outer rim. Fine. Han, I can’t spare any more ships so you can go handle this with them.”

Han shook his head, “Our group sounds like a bad joke. A Fallen Jedi, A Master Jedi, and the Smugglers all walk into a bar!”

Luke said, “Oh stop. Thank you, Leia. Thanks, Han.”

Luke Left first and happily walked down the hall to get ready for the new mission. However, Han Solo stopped Anakin in the hall and said, “Listen, Tin Can, I’m doing this for Luke. Not for you.”

“I understand-”

“Do you?”

“Mr. Solo-”

“Captain Han Solo to you! Now listen. Luke is blinded by the fact he just found some kind of family. For heaven's sake, you chopped his hand off! You tried to get him to go to the dark side! You killed his first mentor! Oh, yeah sure. Father of the year! Why don’t you prove it by doing something for Luke instead of Luke doing something for you, because he’s trying to win your favor! Luke is still young. He’s twenty-four. Don’t fuck up his life just because you suddenly feel some sense of duty to him.”

Anakin said, “Yeah, you’re right. I’m going to get to know him. I’m going to protect him like I should have done all these years. I just need to find a new path right now. I was given a second chance and I did not deserve that, but Luke saw something left in me and I’m going to grow that something so I can try and be a better person.” Han Solo studied his face and saw that Anakin was telling the truth. Anakin looked away from Han’s dagger-like gaze, “Can we get to the ship?”

“Yeah, but one last thing,” Han insisted, “You fuck up once and there will be no coming back from that. You will have no one left here that will stand up for you if you do.”


	3. Vader No More

##  Chapter 6

Han Solo asked, “Okay! Where to?”

Anakin said, “Mustafar system on the moon Nur.”

Chewbabaka already gave Han a piece of his mind about helping Anakin and both of them looked at Anakin with side-eyed glance and Han said, “The Empire is still active in the outer rim, so much so, even you said someone is still giving orders and you want to waltz on in there.”

Anakin said, “Luke and I have a plan. Use my codes to not get shot down and to get into the facility. Then, Luke got the outside of my old suit. I’m going to fake bringing in Luke as a prisoner. While you two here will scramble their communications and be ready to get us out when he signals you on these comlinks.” Anakin gave them their small device and Luke showed his. 

Luke said, “When we get past the guards, we will find Ahsoka and then get out as fast as we can.”

Han looked at Anakin’s belt, “Why do you have his lightsaber?”

“Because,” Anakin said, “Prisoners aren’t allowed to have them and we need to sell it to get passed the guards. To be honest, we haven’t made any purge troopers or inquisitors in around ten years. I didn’t even know this place still had staff.”

“Maybe this was the work of the Emperor,” Han suggested. Chewbacca agreed.

Anakin shook his head, “Either way. I don’t know why they have it operational. There was a Rebel incident here and though I heard of plans to rebuild, I never thought we were using this base anymore.”

Han said, “Well, sit back and relax. Let you know when we are there.”

Luke clapped Han on the shoulder, “Alright.”

Anakin and Luke went back to the common area of the ship. Anakin looked around at the old ship that seemed like it was going to fall apart at any moment. He pondered over how he was never able to capture the bucket of bolts. Not that it mattered. It’s just the fastest ship he’s ever seen in his life. Other than one ship he almost destroyed having a hissy fit. 

Luke asked, “What was my mother like?”

He was caught off guard by the question and asked, “What?”

“Her name was Padme Amadala, right,” Luke pushed. 

Anakin pursed his lips, “She was a senator in the galactic senate. She loved her home Naboo and that’s where we got married, in secret of course. The Jedi were encouraged to keep feelings like that hidden and we were not allowed to express them. Padme and I didn’t care. She and I go back. Like, we met when the first conflict of the separatists happened. She was confident and beautiful. She always got her way too. Not that that was a bad thing, but she had a way with words. Why do you ask? I’m kinda curious about how you grew up.”

Luke sat back into the seat he was in, “I ask because I never really fit in with the people who raised me.”

“Who raised you?”

“Uncle Owen and his family on Tatooine,” Luke replied.

“You mean Cliegg’s son?”

“Yes. Your brother!”

Anakin shrugged, “Yeah. He’s my stepbrother. Cliegg married my mother.”

“They never spoke a lot about you,” Luke said, “I have always wanted to get to know you.”

Anakin sighed, “Luke. Thank you. But, you don’t need to know me. You grew up in safe hands. You not fitting in was the force. It wasn’t because you never knew me and you had a different name. You have a dad.”

“Had.”

“Oh, what happened,” though he remembered the report that came to him about their deaths.

“The empire came looking for 3PO and R2, and we bought them off scavengers,” Luke said looking distant, “The Empire killed them. They wouldn’t give them up because they were with me.”

Anakin thought back to the reports a few years back and looked troubled. He said, “Did Obi-Wan train you at least?”

“Not until we got Leia’s message,” Luke said, “I knew of him and where he lived. He traded with Owen a lot. They seemed friendly with each other and he always asked about how I was doing. When I was a kid I used to show him all the gadgets I’d make. Little cleaning robots and bobals to help the farm. He said one time that I reminded him of you and that’s when I found out I was a Skywalker.”

Anakin shook his head to stop himself from crying, “Tatooine was the last place I would look. I was born there. I grew up in slavery until Obi-Wan and his master Quigon-Jin came to take me away to train as a Jedi.”

“If you would have found me when I was young,” Luke asked, “What would you have done?”

Anakin shook his head, “I… don’t know. Maybe train you to be my apprentice and try to keep you safe from the Emperor. Vader was not a good person. He was a monster and I’m trying to make a better image for myself. My name is Anakin Skywalker now and I will destroy Vader. With your help and also my old padawan, maybe it will be easier.”

Luke asked, “Do you still feel the pull to the dark side?”

Anakin nodded, “Yes, you get drunk with power and it’s so- It fills your soul. And this part of me- the person who is speaking to you now- I don’t want to be like that anymore. I was so easily manipulated and not that excuses anything-”

Han said, “No. It doesn’t. Don’t play the victim. You and Vader are the same person. You went by Vader just a week ago. So how dare you!” Han took a deep breath, “Suit up Tin Can. We are near the base.” 

Luke got his old suit and helped him put it on. Anakin felt wrong when he put it on. He felt disgusted with himself. As if the suit was an illness that infected him and made him feel sick. He came up front and went over the communications line that was established, “This is Darth Vader, code S29-05G-938. I have classified orders here.”

The stormtrooper on the other end went, “Of course, Sir. Clearing you for landing right now.” Then a few seconds went by and the trooper said, “You are cleared for landing. Grand Admiral Thrawn will be meeting you on the landing pad.”

Anakin’s eyes opened and said, “Tell him there’s no need and that I have a surprise for him.”

Thrawn said, “Ah, Lord Vader. I was just being polite. Are you afraid I’m going to steal your new bucket of bolts?”

“I have much to discuss with you,” Anakin said.

“I think I already know. The Emperor is dead, yes?”

“So you did get long-range communications,” Anakin sounded surprised, “Then I guess the surprise I’m bringing in will make you very pleased.”

They landed and Anakin had Luke put in cuffs. He walked out with a storm brewing behind them and light rain falling down. Admiral Thrawn met him as the doors to the facility were opened. The blue-skinned Chiss smiled wide and said, “May may! Yes, a surprise indeed Lord Vader! Please come and we can process him!”

Anakin dressed as Vader walked with Luke to the side of him and asked the Admiral, “So, what are we doing here in this base. I thought we closed it down?”

“I got orders to bring in a Jedi and to come here. Then I was to wait for further instructions,” Thrawn told who he thought was Vader.

“Funny, I was told the same, but not directly by the Emperor.”

“Same for me,” Anakin sensed something was up and asked, “Do you think it was the Emperor?”

“I thought it was you actually. But I see now it was not, right?”

“I don’t know the Empire is in shambles right now. The Rebels have taken control.”

“Speaking of, there are rumors,” Thrawn said making Anakin sweat. On his side, Anakin noticed Ahsoka’s lightsabers. Anakin focused his attention away from them and heard, “With the Empire like this, and now you are confirmed to be alive, will you lead us now?”

Anakin tried not to laugh. He said, “I am not a leader. That was never my place.”

Thrawn nodded, “No your place was supposed to be dead.”

Anakin stopped and let Vader take control for a second. He picked Thrawn up and started to force choke him, “Say again?”

“We know you’re rebel scum! Traitor!”

He turned back into Anakin and said force pushing him down to the ground and keeping him there. He grabbed Ahsoka’s lightsabers, “Oh good you know!”

He took Luke’s lightsaber and broke him out of the chains while still holding Thrawn in his place. Luke said, “C’mon, we gotta get to where they are holding her!”

“Right!”

They ran down the hall and Anakin said, “Follow me to the detention center!” They took lefts and rights until they reached the ain holding area. Then they tried to box in our heroes in the middle. Anakin gave Luke his lightsaber and took out one of the two owned by his former padawan. He felt the light come from it and it strengthened him. Luke yelled, “The Empire has fallen! Let us do what we need to do and you won’t get hurt! I repeat you are facing Jedi Master Luke Skywalker and Lord Vader! You are all outmatched!”

They gripped onto their weapons and Thrawn came from the hall Luke was facing. He said, “They are not cowards. Unlike you Lord Vader, they are loyal until the end!”

Anakin said, “One, two-”

Luke and Anakin force pushed their foes away, knocking them all out. Ahead of them, Anakin felt his way through with the force bond he had with Ahsoka to find her, but then they started to find children. Anakin looked at their faces and knew what his former padawan was doing when she was captured. His breath hitched and he finally found her, but he couldn’t just leave the kids there. He turned to Luke and said, Get these children out of here! They are all force sensitive. I’ll get Ahsoka!”

Alarms blared and Anakin ran to Ahsoka. She could feel he was near. She panicked and looked around for an escape. She reasoned the only way out was through. She was not going to be turned to the dark side. She had been through too much not give in. Anakin neared and she went to the corner of her cell where there was a blind spot. 

Anakin unlocked the cell by destroying it with her lightsaber and walked in. She drop kicked him in surprise and noticed her two lightsabers at his side. As Anakin laid there bested by her powerful kick to the face, Ahsoka and force pulled her weapons into her hands. Anakin said, “Ahsoka, it’s me! Stop!”

“Not falling for that, Vader!”

He got up and readied himself, “I’ll show you! Take off my helmet!”

She stood there with a snarled look on her face and two lightsabers to his neck, “You tried to kill me.”

“You know I’m getting that a lot right now! It’d be nice if someone would believe when I say, ‘I’m Anakin Skywalker!’”

Tears came to her eyes, “Anakin?”

He took off his helmet and said, “Yes Snipps, look at my eyes.”

Their bond reconnected and she felt the weight he was carrying now that he was trying to be a light side user once again. They felt each other's emotions and she calmed down. Finally, after all this time, they reconnected. Friends found each other at last. She put away her sabers and happily cheered with tears in her eyes, “Anakin!”

“Okay, we need to save this until we get onto the ship,” Anakin tried to hurry her, “Luke, my son is getting the children and Thrawn will be here any minute.”

“How did you even figure out where I was?”

They hurried out down the hall. Anakin replied, “Well, I knew what cell you were in once I saw it through your eyes. I put my trust in the force and our bond.”

“Okay, do you have a lightsaber?”

“No. Luke locked it up. It’s a whole, ‘thing.’”

She handed over one of her sabers, rolled her eyes, and smiled, “It’s always a ‘thing’ with you.”

Luke met up with the duo with all five children they saw. Anakin took the lead, Luke took the back, and Ahsoka went in the middle of the children making sure they kept up with all the running. They deflected blaster fire and just made a run for the ship. Luke called to have the ship ready and that there were more than they were originally saving. Anakin flung troopers out of the way in an amazing show to any onlookers who have never encountered force-sensitive people. They all stopped firing on the group because no one knew how to beat them. Thrawn however, would not give up that easily. He got in ti-fighter and pursued them. Anakin said, “Luke, Ahsoka, get the children onto the ship.”

Thrawn laughed maniacally in his craft and shot up the landing platform. Anakin took a deep breath and held him in the sky. Thrawn fired and Anakin held back the gun spray allowing the children to get to safety. Anakin let go for a second and gunfire hit him in the shoulder. He, for the first time in twenty-two years, felt pain. He kept pushing on though. Being lit on fire by lava and burned alive made him basically immune to pain. He couldn't hold the fighter much longer and let it go. Thrawn made another pass. This time Anakin made him crash onto the landing platform with his Jedi powers in a big explosion of fire and might. He booked it to the Falcon and made it there just in time. They shot off into hyperspace, not leaving time for anyone to follow. 

Anakin fell down in the doorway to the common area. Ashoka scolded him while helping him to his seat, “Anakin what were you thinking?” She saw his wound and tilted her head. Anakin groggily told her, “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. Are the younglings safe?”

“Wow you really have changed,” she smiled, “Vader is just your shadow now huh?”

“Yes, now take this damn suit off me,” he demanded feeling sick of wearing it. 

Luke and Ahsoka helped him out of his suit. Ashoka studied his new body and noticed how patchy around his throat was. She asked, “Did they give you new lungs?”

He smiled and then started crying, “Ashoka I’m so sorry. After our last battle, I left it feeling so empty.” She saw how hurt he looked by his actions all those years ago. The guilt and the pain that was being lifted. He said, “I saw my lightsaber almost get to you and that’s the last thing I remember. I just fell and I guess I hit my head pretty hard and-”

Luke said, “I’m gonna go check on the kids.”

Ahsoka got teary-eyed, “I knew there was still some light left in you. I hoped someday you would see that.”

“Really?”

“Yeah!”

They wiped their tears away and calmed themselves down

“Ahsoka, I need your help,” he explained, “I know the lightsabers you own, you originally took from an inquisitor, and purified the kiber crystals. I need to do that with my lightsaber. I need to face Vader at some point and having no trace of him left would help.”

Ahsoka nodded, “I see. Why don’t you get a new one?”

“I just feel it’s right,” Anakin told her with confidence. 

“Is it?”

“What are you talking about?”

“During the Clone Wars you went through 3 lightsabers, I think,” she explained, “Granted you had the same crystal most of the time. Do you really need to keep a damaged crystal? Maybe it would sever your connection to your hate if you let it go. Luke locked it up for a good reason. Maybe you should keep it locked up.”

He sighed, “I don’t know where I would get another crystal because you know what Starkiller base is right? I mean we went around mining those things for their energy.”

“There are still temples the Empire hasn’t found,” Ashoka smiled, “Going and trying to fix the galaxy from all you have done will be a tough undertaking. Even now I can still feel your pain that you need to let go of.”

“You know, to be honest,” Anakin said, “I was ready to die, but then my son Luke saved me and I just held on for some reason. I was really about to give up because this journey I’m on is just- I want to be able to do it and be a good father to him. I’m trying to live up to what Padme would have wanted now. I just don’t know how to do it.”

Ahsoka smiled, “I don’t think parents ever know how to be parents. To be honest with you, I think you need to find out who you are first before you do anything. So first things first, we need to train you in using the light side once more. Besides we need the light side to purify or get a new crystal.”

Luke came running and something crashed into the ship, “Sorry to cut your talk and reunion short but we need to hit the guns. We just got out of hyperspace to make a small repair and an Imperial ship just showed up. I need to make that repair, can you two hit the guns?”

Anakin said, “Like old times?”

“Like old times.”

They ran to the guns.

“Gun 1 is online,” called Ahsoka!

“Gun 2 is online,” called Anakin!

Anakin was surprised this tech was still around. The ship had guns he trained on in the clone wars. Luke was bouncing around fixing the ship. Han was making evasive maneuvers around the large ship. Han moved the ship behind the ti-fighters. They didn’t know what was coming for them with two veterans from the clone wars on the guns. Ahsoka was the first to fire. She got one and it spun out of control into the next one behind them. Two birds, one stone. Then they flew onto the other side. Anakin’s turn.

Anakin lined up his shot and took it. The ti-fighter dodged it and fired back. Han spun the ship around to dodge it and as he did that he lined up another shot and got the main compartment of the small fighter. He pressed on to the last one. Han yelled, “Luke how is that repair coming along?”

“Almost done!”

“Our shields need to recharge! We have little integrity left!”

Anakin said, “Ahsoka switch, Han let me take control! I know a move that this thing can do!”

Han snarled, “Fine!” 

Ahsoka climbed up to the gun and Anakin ran to the cockpit. He jumped into the seat and yelled, “Ahsoka I’m doing my famous move!”

“Got it!”

He stopped and turned the ship vertical all in one motion. The ti-fighter couldn’t keep up and went right past them. Ahsoka took the shot as soon as she could and she shot them down. 

Luke yelled out, “Jump to hyperspace!”

Anakin made them all jump to hyperspace and sat back, panting. 

Han angrily pointed out, “That was a risky move and could have gotten us all killed! You could have killed those kids!”

Anakin got out of the pilot seat and said, “I know. But it saved us and bought us time.”

“Or we could have ran straight into the other ship!”

“I’ve done it a thousand times before! I have fought in two wars now and do that move all the time! I know how to fly! I’ve been flying and building ships since before you were born!”

“You’re ten years older than me!”

Luke butt in when he heard the yelling, “Stop!”

They stared at Luke and looked back at each other. Anakin said, “I saved your lives twice today. Haven’t I at least proven I’m on your side?”

Han opened his mouth and closed it. He sighed and looked away, “You’re on our side, but I still don’t trust you.”

Anakin nodded, “Fair enough.” 

From behind Luke one of the kids pulled on his robe, “Master Skywalker! Are we safe?”

“Yes,” Luke said, “Why aren’t you with the others?”

“They wanted to see what was wrong and I saw ti-fighters out one of the windows,” the child said.

Luke patted the maybe, thirteen-year-old boy on the shoulder and said, “Don’t worry. We are going to the New Republic HQ and you’ll be safe there. Go find Ahsoka and get back to the bunks.”

Anakin looked at the innocent child and felt so much guilt. Ahsoka was trying to teach them the ways of being a light side user. She wasn’t a Jedi but knew what was the better path for them to follow. The dark side twists everything it touches and if you go too deep, you could go mad with power as he did. The best way to teach children how to use the force is with the light side. 

He remembered his past and knew what he did to so many was so wrong. Some of the Inquisitor cadets were ripped away from their families and often times it was a violent incident. He peered into the bunk room where the children were. Ahsoka said, “See, did you guys trust in the force you would be safe?”

The one who came to Luke said, “Yes Master Tano!”

“Today we will have someone join our lesson,” Ahsoka said, “Master Luke will be showing you how to force push someone to the ground.”

The children got excited. The little girl who was the same race as Ahsoka asked, “Will we one day get to stop ti-fighters like that man who saved us did? Didn’t he force push that thing to the ground?”

“You’ll actually be pushing him down under the direction of Master Luke,” Ahsoka said.

Anakin grunted and held back his laugh then walked in and said, “If anyone can knock me down, to the ground, on my back, then I’ll spar Ahsoka and Luke without a lightsaber.”

Their eyes lit up and he sat down in front of them the eldest there was maybe the one who Luke spoke with. Anakin asked, “So where do you all come from? Where are your guy’s parents?”

The thirteen-year-old who seemed to act like a leader to all of them said, “Well, they are all dead. Ahsoka saved me from Mandalore and becoming a trooper for the empire. If they would have found out what I could do they would have probably turned me to the dark side.”

“What’s your name son,” asked Anakin.

“Ad’jin.”

“Not many Mandalorians are Jedi,” Anakin smiled

Ahsoka said, “All these children’s parents were rebels, and the other Jedi that we knew about were busy with their own missions. So I took it upon myself to teach them.”

“There are more Jedi?”

Ad’jin asked, “Who are you?”

Anakin gulped, “I’m-” Ahsoka tilted her head and blinked at him. Anakin started again, “I’m Anakin.”

Ahsoka turned back to the children and they were stunned. Ad’jin said, “I thought you were supposed to be dead because of the purge, right?”

“I was lost, for a long time,” Anakin said, “Master Skywalker came to save me and then we came to save Master Tano.”

“Should we call you Master Skywalker as well?”

“No. I’m not a master. Not yet.”

“But you could take down a whole ti-fighter!”

He tilted his head, “Ad’jin, hasn’t Master Tano told you the Jedi way is not violence. Just because I can make amazing feats with the force, doesn’t make me a Master.”

“No, Master Tano said that it’s okay to fight! We just shouldn’t do it with anger in our hearts. The Jedi of the past failed to even find a sith lord under their nose because they were too busy being generals. They were manipulated into thinking they were protecting the peace-”

“So did they have hate or anger in their hearts?”

“Yes.”

“This is what Master Tano has told you,” he looked at his former padawan.

“The anger they felt was brought on by war,” Ad’jin told Anakin, “They were blinded by it because they believed in the Old Republic, but everything changed when they started to command the clones. It is our duty to always be skeptical of those who rule us. It’s important for democracy to make sure we see all outcomes.”

“Is that so?”

“Asking questions will make us open to truth.”

“What questions would you ask someone who is blinded by anger?”

“‘Why are you angry?’ ‘Is there a better way?’ Questions like that. They should healthy deal with their emotions instead of falling into the dark side,” the young boy told Anakin who was glaring at Ahsoka. 

Ad’jin looked at Anakin weirdly, “Why aren’t you a Master? Did you fall to the dark side? I can sense something-”

Ahsoka butt in, “Okay younglings! Let’s Leave Anakin alone for now!”

Anakin left the room in a little bit of confusion. Children don’t have a filter and he forgot how much they don’t understand the subtleties adults do. The child made him feel disoriented and he didn’t understand why Ahsoka was teaching the younglings like that. He knows the Jedi Oder had failed, but to teach them to always question everything might have been a dangerous thing to teach them. What if they turn out to think anyone to be too assertive and otherwise, oppressive. There has to be some balance and they don’t know that line yet. 

But, maybe, just maybe it was a good thing. Maybe they would understand democracy better and not fall to the tricks of a want-to-be Emperor like Palpatine. It just felt dangerous to teach them even what the dark side is at its very basic level. Then again, questioning all outcomes wasn’t a strong suit of the Jedi who he called friends. 

Ahsoka said, “I wanted to teach them what the past Jedi failed to teach us. I want to give them something better than what we had. But you were right, you’re not a Master. I mean that in the nicest way possible too. I’m glad you understand that your training is just as incomplete as the younglings.”

“I guess it is if we are teaching them that our past Masters legacy is failure,” Anakin said, “And that they were just blinded by the lust of war.”

“Well, look at what they did to me! Did they listen to the force or to the Republic?”

Anakin looked down, “Is your judgment clouded?”

“No Anakin! It’s not! I’ve had years to figure myself out in a healthy way. But do you want to know what pushed me to almost go to the dark side?”

“Please don’t-”

“Take a wild guess! I clearly remember you saying after I said, ‘I won’t give up on you.’ Then you said in all your Lord Vader-y-ness, ‘Then you shall die!’ Seeing you like this is great and I’m thankful for the rescue, but things aren’t going back to the way they used to. No more of Jedi fighting the dark side like it’s this evil thing! No more of Jedi fighting to serve a bigger master! And, no more ignoring the force in favor of politics! Anakin, I will help teach you the new ways of being a Jedi and you just completed the first step. Coming back from a dark place. Now we need to work on your shame and guilt and I don’t want any more pity parties! Got it!”

He smiled slightly and admiring the woman she grew to be, “Yes, Master Tano.”

Chapter 7

Han Solo got the call to meet with Leia on Corissant. So while on their way, they took it as an opportunity to train in the common area of the ship. Luke was showing Anakin how to fight defensively once more and to stop thinking like a sith.

Luke said, “Alright, now wait. Stop thinking like Vader and think like a Jedi. Remember? Wait and study.”

Luke attacked and the little ones watched. Ahsoka was showing them and making sure they were making mental notes on each fighting style. Luke had some practice sticks still in the falcon from when Obi-Wan was teaching him how to fight with a lightsaber. They were more props than anything.

Luke struck first and Anakin reverted back to the way he used to fight. Though he really could only fight with one hand as he was accustomed to it. It was not a sweat to him and he fought with grace and elegance. Luke didn’t go easy either. He was trained in the way of Kyrat and knew both subsections of the style. Luke switched between the two subsections. Anakin followed that way too but favored the more aggressive subsection. 

Luke swung at Anakin’s head and Anakin blocked. Luke smiled, “Ah, almost got you!”

“You wish.”

“Oh yeah! Block this!”

It looked like Luke was going for his legs, but suddenly switched it up to swing at Anakin’s chest and stopped at Anakin’s throat, but Anakin stopped with the opening at Luke’s side. A draw. 

Ahsoka said, “Okay, so what fighting style were they using? Did anyone catch that?”

The father-son duo looked at the children, panting. One of the little girls was Chiss and had red eyes. She was maybe eight, the youngest of the group. She raised her hand, “Form V or the way of the Kryat.”

“How could you tell?”

“Well, Anakin was using a more aggressive way, but I forgot what the name of it was. And Master Skywalker was switching between the two ways,” the little girl who introduced herself as Triss, smiled, “But it was a draw! I learned that Anakin and Luke are evenly matched. They could read each other's movements. It was over so fast!”

“Alright, anyone have any comments?”

Ad’jin said, “You two left a lot of openings, to be honest. I’m not impressed.”

Anakin said, “When?”

“When you blocked, you left your whole body open for him to kick you or something,” Ad’jin folded his arms.

“What would you have done better?”

“Ducked!”

Anakin nodded, “Duck then jab him in the side?”

“Yes!”

“I see that Mandolorian blood kicks you awake during any kind of fighting,” he said, “But have you thought of this? If I blocked him like that, will he think about kicking me?”

Ad’jin thought about it, “Master Skywalker doesn’t do stuff like that, no. But he could!”

“Fighting is more than just fighting and winning, young one. It’s also about the likeliness of your opponent doing something you know they will do. That’s called sizing up your opponent. Master Skywalker is a Jedi and fights honorably. Like anyone should.”

“What if they don’t? No sith fights with honor!”

“Then watch out for cheap shots.”

Ad’jin felt displeased with that answer, but it was the only one he was going to get. Ad’jin smiled, “Hey Master Tano? Remember when Anakin told us if we could knock him down onto his back, we could get to see you and Master Skywalker spar with him having no weapons? Can I try?”

Ahsoka said, “Anakin are you still up to that?”

Anakin smiled, “Sure.”

Ad’jin stood as tall as he could. He took a deep breath and acted like he was going to force push, but he slyly had a trick up his sleeve. He could stop someone in place and make them freeze. 

He did that instead and Anakin was caught off guard as he was bracing for a force impact, not freezing in time. Ahsoka tried not to laugh and Luke rolled his eyes. When Ad’jin stopped Anakin fell over and he didn’t even know how he did until he figured it out as he tried to stop himself from falling. But he fell.

Ahsoka said, “That was not fair.”

Anakin got up quickly, “Wow kid that’s some force ability. Guess I’ll have to spar with two masters, huh?”

Ahsoka said, “No that was not right. Lying is not one of the qualities of a Jedi. Apologize.”

Ad’jin flushed, “I’m sorry. I just want to see what you are like in a fight. You just have so much force around you, I want to see what else you can do and understand why you don’t call yourself a Master even though you seem more force-sensitive than any other Jedi I’ve met! It felt like that time I sensed Darth Vader! There I said it!”

Anakin sighed, “You like power. That is not the Jedi way? So I’ll ask you a question. What connects Jedi to the force?”

“Their, predisposed to it, but the connection has a lot to do with-” Ad’jin pursed his lips searching for an answer, “It’s all around us. We just feel it and our intentions shape how we use it.”

“So is pitting people up against each other the Jedi way? Because we have a word for that.”

“No. It’s not,” he looked away dejected.

“I want you to go and think about what you did, alone, Ad’jin. I’ll come get you when we arrive at Corissant,” Ahsoka scolded him. 

Ahsoka said letting Luke speak with the children, “He’s been tough to wrangle in, but he leads the others and is one of my best students. Just a little bit of trouble. I think I have to let him learn where his actions take him.”

“Like,” Anakin gave her look, “Let him go dark side?”

“If he can’t figure out another way…” Ahsoka’s voice trailed off.

“Then you should go seek out a force ghost during meditation,” he said.

“Maybe if you told him who you were-”

“Ahsoka, I would scare the living shit out of him. He just tried to manipulate  _ me! _ I tell him who I was, what is he going to think,” Anakin tried to reason.

Ahsoka sighed, “Or maybe you’re not ready to share your past?”

“No, I’m not,” Anakin said softly, “Not to children of all people to tell it to.”

Han yelled out across the ship, “We are here!”

The New Jedi Order was going to be one of strength and more Jedi will have a problem balancing the light with the dark. They would become the generation to start it all. Start it back from the shadows Anakin had a hand in pushing it to. He was glad to know there were more Jedi than what he thought were wiped out. Then he face-palmed. “Of course,” he said. Two names came to mind and he smiled to himself. He had met them before. One had gone missing if he remembered correctly. So it wouldn’t surprise him if there were more children who were protected by the lost Jedi he helped scatter. Hell, maybe even Yoda or Obi-Wan came out of hiding a few times to train children and they would send them on their way. Have them find their way with the force.

Later on, they met with Leia at an old place her family owned on Corissant. She had it restored as her name was cleared. No one in the Empire really liked Palpatine. They were having hearings about everything he had done that was a war crime. Any rebel leader was exonerated of any wrongdoing. Leia was trying to make sure no one elected an emperor and she had plans to come up with a new system of government. Though it hasn’t gone well. Since the emperor only had what was left of the senate as figureheads and honestly, they were all either puppets or messengers to their people about new laws and such, they did not have any sense of unity. They all just want to go back to their own worlds and pick up the pieces. But, at that time, it was the most important and needed to have the utmost urgency, that they come together as a united force. Leia was met with push back because war had made everyone tired. They all just wanted to give up after being so damaged by the Empire.

Anakin knew the place as Senator's Organa's home way back when. He saw that there were photos of Leia when she was a girl. It struck him when he saw them because she looked so much like Padme when she was younger. She even had the same hair loopies in some photos. She grew up happy and safe and that was all he could have asked for. Though he felt a pang of guilt that he knew would never go away. 

Leia laid on the couch with an ice pack on her head from having a bad headache. Stress was deadly to some people, but for her, it came in headaches. She just let them pass with little to no medication because it never really helped anyway. 

“So then I had to say, ‘I mean no disrespect, but I think this is going to be a bad idea,’” she explained, “Ugh, I just can’t believe another planet has walked away.”

Anakin said with his back turned facing the fireplace mantel, “I have never been one for politics, but it seems to me they are either scared or just wary of any kind of government after these twenty years of Rebellion.”

Luke said, “Ah, I don’t know. I do know that we need to prepare Father to speak in front of everyone and they need to grant him a pardon.”

“Do they even care,” Anakin asked turning to his children, “I mean, they have let me go so far. They know I’m here. Why haven’t I been arrested?”

Leia said, “Because, you’re under my protection at the instruction of someone who knows you. You’re welcome!”

“Who knows me?”

“He’s a Gungan.”

He started laughing, “You mean Jar Jar Binks? Jar Jar is preventing me from getting arrested? I knew he was up and kicking. But seriously?”

“The man is a war hero,” Leia said.

“Do you even know him?!”

“Not, personally,” she sighed.

“Jar Jar was a war hero by complete accident at the battle of Naboo. Gosh, he must have made a name for himself,” Anakin shook his head and smiled to himself, “The amount of trouble that Jar Jar made for us. Ah, you guys probably don’t want to hear old war stories.”

Leia callously said, “No. I don’t. But, what I do want to hear what you’re going to tell the Senate.”

“Yeah, we should probably go over that.”

“So, any thoughts?”

“Where should I start? What do they know?”

“Tell me what you know and I’ll tell you if they do,” Leia said trying to make things easier.

“Okay, let’s start with order 66,” Anakin said, “Emperor Palpatine gave out the order because the Jedi wanted to throw him out of power. I was there. He gave me a pass and said I saved him. The truth is, he was the sith lord we were trying to find. I’m sure if we went through his things we will find the journal he kept. I think I know where it is too. That should prove he was a sith lord. Then he was behind the making of the clones because he ordered Count Duku, his apprentice at the time, with the help of a Jedi Master, who Duku tricked because this Master was a paranoid man. I was there when we found this man and Duku followed us and tried to tie off loose ends. It was Palpatine’s idea to put chips inside the heads of every clone that would tell them to shoot and kill Jedi at the command of ‘Order 66,’” Anakin sat down across from Leia, “The Jedi were trying to protect the Republic but they didn’t see order 66 coming. The only clones who did were either killed or silenced in some way for the threat of death.”

Ahsoka came from the kitchen and heard the word clones. She said, “Rex is still kicking!”

“What? I thought he died on Mandalore”

“Yeah! He was a general in the Rebellion in the outer rim!”

Anakin said, “Can you contact him? Maybe we can get him to speak on my behalf!”

“I don’t know Anakin, he knows you were Vader,” Ahsoka pursed her lips, “Let me see if I can get a hold of him. I guess it doesn’t hurt to ask.”

Apparently, at the end of the rebellion Rex wanted to be done with war. He bought a house on Croissant and only Ahsoka knew where it was. He was close and Ahsoka told him where to go to find her. They met up at Leia’s house and Anakin anxiously awaited. Ahsoka did not tell the entire truth, just that she needed help. Anakin went to the kitchen to get a glass of water and Rex came in being welcomed by Ahsoka. He was old, but still in good health. He was probably one of the last clones to walk the galaxy. Bald and wrinkled he stood with the same pride he did in his youth. Aging for clones was different than normal people. Though Rex was the youngest there, by clone standards he should be dead. 

He greeted his old friend Ahsoka, “Commander!”

“I told you to stop calling me that,” Ahsoka said with a laugh.

Anakin hung his lightsaber box to his side to feel normal. The box wasn’t much heavier than the lightsaber inside. He gripped it out of instinct and took a deep breath. Rex was one of the few clones who knew about the chip and he took it out before the purge. Anakin felt his breath and how panicked it actually was. He heard them in the living room. 

“So what did you need my help- Oh General Leia. An honor. And Master Luke,” He noted, “Ah, it’s nice to see some Skywalkers can be good people!”

“I know! So nice,” Leia said knowing Anakin could hear from the other room.

“Fuck,” he whispered and closed his eyes for a second to reorient himself.

He walked out and said, “We should go over why we brought you here, Rex.”

“Who are you,” Rex said skeptically, “Have we met.”

Anakin gulped, “You don’t know who I am?”

“No, I’m out of the loop with politics if you’re someone important,” Rex laughed nervously.

“Rex, it’s me, Anakin.”

The whole room went still. Nobody even breathed. Rex’s eyes turned to anger and he gathered up his rage. “Anakin,” he growled.

Leia awkwardly stepped as far away as possible. Luke tried to prepare for what was going to happen next. Rex yelled, “You bastard! No. You warmongering, selfish, traitor!” He charged and they went to the ground. Anakin didn’t fight back. Rex punched and angrily gasped, “Whoreson! Traitorous! Selfish! Piece! Of! Shit!”

Anakin covered his face and said calmly and warily, “Rex, please stop.”

“Stop? Is that what those children told you when you slaughtered them!”

“Rex, listen!”

Ahsoka force pulled Rex away and he grabbed the air around him, “No, I’m not going to help you! I’m going to kill you! Fight like a man, you coward!”

Ahsoka yelled, “I called you here! Not him. It was my idea!”

He panted and calmed down. He looked at her with a puzzled face, “Don’t you want him to pay for what he’s done.”

Leia went, “Oh, I like him!”

“Anakin needs someone to tell the senate about order 66, I know you kept your chip,” she said, “Anakin wants to change for the better this time. Jar Jar is the one protecting him for the time being.”

Anakin wiped the blood from his nose and looked away when Rex shot him a look. Rex questioned, “Change? Is this some kind of joke? Do you believe him? Especially after what he put you through? Ahsoka, you can’t be serious? Remember who helped you get back on your feet after you and him fought? Trust me to know when I say, you shouldn’t help him. He murdered children and families! How in the hell-? Anashit! Did you get in her head with your sith powers or something?”

Anakin said, “No. I saved her from being locked up in a prison where the Empire took people who had a connection with the force.”

“Oh did you, mister hero,” he mocked, “We saw the tapes of you standing by when Palpatine was being arrested. You killed Windu first, then younglings, and any clones who found out you were Vader. It makes me sick looking at you. You had my loyalty and you crushed it. We fought side by side! Won every battle! And you crushed it. So I’m sorry if I don’t believe you. I’m the last person you should have called.”

Ahsoka said, “I’m testifying on his behalf.”

“Why? Ahsoka, this is stupid!”

“Because he’s changed!”

“You’re being manipulated!”

Anakin said loudly, “I’m not manipulating her!”

“Whose bright idea was it to save Anashit,” Rex said ignoring Anakin.

Leia said, “That would be Luke. I had no say in it. I want him to rot in a cell!”

“I see why they made you a General,” Rex smiled.

Anakin closed his eyes and gulped, “Rex, I’m sorry. I was consumed by hate and the lust for power. The dark side made me its bitch and I went over the edge. I tried to force out every ounce of good in me, but at the end of the day, Luke, my son, and Leia, my daughter, are what matters in my life. I want to be in their lives and be a better person. I can’t make up for lost time and I don’t know what I can do to actually change things, but whatever it is I want to try. I don’t expect you to trust me. Or like me. Or anything. I just want you to go to the senate and tell the truth. Whatever truth that may be.”

Leia looked away looking slightly hurt. 

Leia grew up loved by her adopted parents. She had as much of a normal childhood as they possibly could provide. However, she always felt out of place. Like there was something inside her that was gripping it’s way out. A yearning to find out more about her family. She was told she was adopted, but never told who her parents were for her safety. She found her birth certificate when she turned sixteen, but no father was listed. When she asked about her birth mother Padme, she was always shut down. She got to know her mother through old news shot during the clone wars and she read about her feats of heroism with a Jedi named Anakin Skywalker. It was years after when she met Luke they put the pieces together. She learned what she could about Anakin, the man he was and despised the man, Vader, who he became. She found their marriage certificate locked and sealed away by Padme. She found the truth and she hated it.

Hearing Anakin say those words that she matters to him and he wanted to be better for her, she shook her head and angrily said in the room full of history, “Anakin you don’t deserve that.”

She went to her room and Luke followed after her. Rex said, “If you want me to speak the truth, then I will. About how much of a failure you are.” Then Rex walked out and Ahsoka followed.

Anakin’s ears rang and he sat down. He felt defeated and wasn't sure what to do next. There was no handbook for this shit and there wasn't much he could say to anyone to prove he was changed and wanted to change more. Maybe not back into the Anakin they all loved and admired, but he wanted to get away from the pain and hurt. Though, he seemed to just be going through more of it. He thought, "Luke should have just let me die." He felt a bubbling bout of anger flush over him and he needed to get it out. He got up and screamed. Everything in the room started spinning and he wanted to curse and fight himself. He wanted to do something. Anything. It was an agonizing scream and he just wanted to die at that moment. He thought, “Luke should have never saved me.” Everything started spinning faster and he fainted on the floor.

  
  


Chapter 8

_ Anakin’s POV _

Anakin heard a voice in his head, “This is a test. Prevent Vader and save us.” He awoke face on the floor of his room in the Jedi temple. He grunted and winced his eyes from the glare of the sun. Someone walked in and went, “Guards!”

He looked up to face himself. The younger version. He looked at the calendar he kept by his bed and he saw that they were using the calendar the Old Republic used. He asked Young Anakin, “How many years is it after the battle of Geonosis?”

Young Anakin looked at him confused, “Three years.”

He got up and felt his side. His lightsaber box hung there and he covered it with his robe. Young Anakin said, “Who are you?”

He looked around a little dazed, “I’m. I’m a traveler and my name is, ah, Luka.”

“Why are you in my room,” Young Anakin asked.

“Good question. I don’t know. But, I need to speak with the Jedi Council.”

Young Anakin nodded, “Yeah. Okay. Just so happens I’m a member. And, I want to know how you got in here? Through the vents or something?”

“Don’t be silly. You’re Anakin Skywalker right,” Old Anakin noted.

“Yeah,” he said and the temple guards came.

He knew one of the guards and said his name and only Vader knew it, “Quigouis?”

The confused guard said, “How do you know my name?”

He had the anger that made him the Grand Inquisitor peak through him in his eyes and his energy. They got in fighting stance and Old Anakin said, “Oh I wouldn’t do that. I could take down this whole temple if I wanted to. I’m a Jedi, from the future.”

Anakin nodded in disbelief, “Yeah, and I’m a Jedi who got married. Good one.”

Old Anakin said, “Oh that’s, ah! Okay. I’ll prove it.”

He force pushed them all to the ground without breaking a sweat and held them there. He started, “You’re Anakin Skywalker! The chosen one! And you're concerned about someone close to you dying right now just as your mother did and you think you can’t save them like you couldn’t save your mother. And Quigouis, you were denied knowledge at the library and that just makes you filled with hate. You think knowledge is power. Not the Jedi way now, is it?”

Young Anakin raged and forced himself up. Old Anakin forced him down harder. Young Anakin said, “How do you know this?”

“Because I’m a time traveler,” He said and let the guards go. Young Anakin said, “You two may go! I got this.”

Old Anakin laughed, “Oh you do. Yes guards. Scurry off.”

They left and Young Anakin said, “So, I guess in the future I’m pretty important. Am I a Master?”

Old Anakin sighed, “How about you get the other members together and I’ll tell you after the meeting. I can even tell you how to save your wife, Padme.”

His eyes widened and he called for a meeting as soon as he could. Old Anakin waited outside the chamber doors and he saw someone who he thought he was going to avoid at all costs. He couldn’t bear to look at her. His heart filled with guilt and he couldn’t even look at her. She approached the chambers though and asked, “Are you the time traveler Anakin wants the rest of the council to see?”

He smiled and held back the urge to hug her. This killed him.

He said, “You’re Padme Amidala. Wonderful to meet your acquaintance.”

“You go by, Luka, yes,” she asked, “And you have a solution to stop Anakin’s bad dreams?”

He whispered, “Miss Amidala, I come from a dark future I am supposed to reverse. That is my mission. There are only a few Jedi left in the future. I have a solution for everyone.”

She said in a murmur, “I know he’s slipping away.”

He couldn’t help it. He had to feel at least the warmth of her hand. He took her hand gently and reassured her, “Padme, I can help him. I know about you two. The future knows about you two. I can stop him from slipping away now and save the father of your children.” He let go and composed himself, “I just have to wait for them to hear me.”

Padme said, “How far into the future have you come from?”

“Not important,” he said. Padme was too smart. He didn’t want to lie to her. He could never. But she could never find out the truth. It would set back the whole plan.

She gave him one of her famous looks when she got cross, “Not important? Well that’s weird.”

Old Anakin laughed, “I didn’t mean it like that. I just mean, what does it matter the time I came from? I’m here with answers and a mission to make sure the Republic, the Order, and others don’t fall into ruin. After I’m done, what does it matter the future I came from?”

She nodded slowly, “I see. You just look familiar. Like I’ve seen you before.”

He smiled and shook his head. He put his hands inside his sleeves like an old wise monk or Jedi, both of which he was reminded he was neither. He dug into his palms and said, “No, we’ve never met before. How many people do you meet with these kinds of burn scars? I got these from when I was a child. I was born in a different time. We use a battle that hasn’t happened yet for reference of time. That’s why I asked when Genosis happened.”

“Must be one hell of a story,” she said coming back to her normal self.

He rubbed his bald head, “Ah. Yeah. There was a monster of a man who did this to me. I was saved with the advancements in cybernetics.” He showed her his shoulder and just below his collarbone, his skin was still growing over the machinery.

She was amazed and he fixed his robes back to normal. She noted, “If you show them that, then they might believe you just as I do now.”

Young Anakin opened the doors and was surprised to see Padme. He stared at her for a second then looked at Old Anakin, “They are ready for you.”

They strutted in the same walk. Though Young Anakin’s walk was more of a angry teenager than Old Anakin’s walk that was confident and that he learned how to walk to size up a room when he Vader. They both created a presence and he saw the most force-sensitive in the room shift around in their seat. 

Time seemed to slow around Old Anakin and he took in the familiar sight of the people who, many he personally killed. It was jarring, but he couldn’t let any of them suspect who he truly was. The word, “Monster,” means little to him at that time. He sighed and gave a charismatic smile. He said, “Hello. I’m Luka.”

Master Yoda said, “Hmmm. Most out of place you are here.”

“I’m here to warn and tell you who the sith lord is,” Old Anakin said, “I come from the future. The Jedi in the future sent me here to make sure what  _ I _ know as history, doesn't happen.”

They all looked at each other. Windu said, “Why should we believe you?”

Old Anakin inquired, “Would you like me to tell you how you all die? Or maybe I should tell everyone’s secrets? How about my cybernetics that are just experimental and barley work at this moment?”

Shaak-Ti said from behind in an hologram image, “Who are your parents?”

“I never knew them and I’m from way too into the future for anyone to know them either,” Old Anakin said.

“Then how do you know how we all die,” Asked Obi-Wan.

Old Anakin said, “In a few months or weeks, you will know who the sith lord is. When this happens, he orders the clones against you all and his new apprentice known as Darth Vader leads and attacks this temple with clones.” They all looked at him with disbelief. Old Anakin said, “Now can anyone guess at all who this sith lord might be now that you have that information.”

Young Anakin opened his mouth and the words came out but it was as if he didn’t want to believe them, “Chancellor Palpatine.”

“Give the chosen one a prize,” Old Anakin said, “But we must act carefully. When we do anything, he will know something’s up and turn the clones on us. It’s not the clones' fault though. They have chips in their heads that when you say the command, they will turn on all of the Jedi. Anyone with a lightsaber during the purge was shot down and only three people in this room are confirmed alive to train a new Jedi who leads the rest into a new age. Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Anakin. I was in training for this new Jedi when something happened and I was sent here. I heard someone tell me to fix this mess up.”

Young Anakin said, “So, everyone with a lightsaber?”

Old Anakin knew who he was concerned for. He remembered he hadn’t seen Ahsoka at the time for three months. She was fighting with Rex on Mandalore to find Maul and take him down, at the time. She still had her green sabers. They probably weren’t destroyed yet. Old Anakin said to make the stakes higher, “Everyone.”

Windu said, “Do you have a plan?”

“I’m powerful. More powerful than the Sith Lord,” Old Anakin said, “More powerful than anyone here. Send me as one of you to arrest him and I know where to find his journal. It will spell out all his villainy and how he was the one behind the making of the clones all this time. He had been playing all of you since Qui Gon Jinn fought Darth Maul. Since before the battle of Naboo. I have the codes to unseal the senate records about the making of the clones. There is a heavily guarded and illegal contract that will highlight the instructions to put a mind control chip into the clones heads. This was supposed to be my mission and I was just going to kill him the Sith Lord on my own, but that wouldn’t stop the betrayal of someone who sits in this room. I need to prove it to them there’s a different path.”

Young Anakin stood up, “I know he speaks the truth. He knows things about people that we hold to ourselves. This isn’t public knowledge now, but maybe it is in the future. Who ordered the making of the clones to our knowledge.”

“Count Duku and Master Sifu Dyas,” Old Anakin clearly stated, “But count Duku was already being manipulated by Palpatine. Don’t you realize they needed someone from the Senate to give a go ahead to make a whole army for the Republic? I’m c’mon guys it’s staring us in the face”

“Hmmm,” the room heard from Plo Koon. His hologram was suffering some interference when suggested, “Perhaps we should get the evidence first before we arrest him.”

Old Anakin put his hands on his hips, “You know that might be a good idea too.”

Plo Koon added, “We need to involve some worlds from the senate to do an investigation. It would make sure we can take him out of power. Maybe if we found evidence of him talking and ordering around Count Duku. And, then of course we need someone from outside the order so it doesn’t seem biased. One of us will have to investigate as well. Then they need to get Luka here to crack his personal codes.”

Anakin said, “I’ll help. He trusts me. I’ll be a good distraction.”

Old Anakin wanted strangle his dumb younger self. How could he be that careless after what he just told the whole council. A sith lord trusts him and he just told them someone betrays them. Old Anakin said, “No. You’re careless and reckless.”

Obi-Wan asked what no one wanted to ask, “Is it Anakin who betrays us?”

Old Anakin scratched the back of his head, “The future won’t matter if we do this right.”

Young Anakin was appalled, “What? I would never-”

Old Anakin looked away. It was that lack of self-awareness that got him into the mess with Palpatine. The whole room looked at Old Anakin for answers he didn’t want to give. The conversation that he wanted to have with his younger self should have been done in private, but they were trying to force answers out of him. So Old Anakin got angry and took a deep breath, “Silence! Sit down boy before I strangle you with the force! I have traveled from a time where the Sith Lord’s appearance kills billions! Maybe even a trillion people. His name is Vader and he is the reason that I’m here. Not for your own lack of understanding of how to control yourself. I’m here to save lives. 

‘As for your question Master Obi-Wan, I can not answer it. You have to figure it out for yourself. If you want to send Anakin with me, fine, but you all should know, I don’t have to play by your rules. I’m not from your Jedi Order. I’m here to stop the Empire from becoming a thing because that’s what the chancellor wants. All power. I will do everything I can to make sure he is brought down. I’ll kill him without thinking if I get the chance. But, I’m trying the diplomatic way because I don’t want your names to be dragged down into the mud. Though you all are blinded by war at the moment, you all here are great people and I believe people can change and grow.”

Yoda said, “Thank you for your honesty. The question I have is, does the dark side consume you?”

“What you’re feeling that is the dark side is in this box,” Old Anakin explained, “I have not completed my training to become a master. I must purify the kiber crystal inside this lightsaber to become one. I can understand your mistrust. But I am not the kind of man to mislead. In my time, it’s common for Jedi to acknowledge the dark side, even use it in battle, but we seek balance rather than be consumed by anything. Hate and anger are natural emotions that need to be worked through in healthy mediums. However, I did not come to argue doctrine. Trust me or don’t, I am a man of my word. I promise to bring down the future.”


	4. Author's note

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little update.

Hey guys. It's Vikki and I wanted to explain something. I also wanted to give thanks for reading this fanfiction and following it. It really means a lot to me and I hope you continue reading. However, I have a writer's block and a lot of anxiety I'm working through with this virus going around. I decided to make an update to explain this. I'm working as much as possible and there might be a new part soon. I am just trying to get into the mood to write. There might be a new update soon, I'm not sure. This next part is taking longer than I thought because there's some drafting I need to do that is taking longer and to do that is getting hard because of my mental health. I want to write. I love to write! I'm just having a tough time with this whole world situation and I need to figure out how to deal with this. Writing is an art and to me, this is a catalog of my art. I only want to put my best out there and 

I will try my best to get a new part out by the end of the month of April. Just hold tight and try to enjoy time with family, video chat with friends, and take this social distancing seriously. 


End file.
